Automobile signal exhibitor



MAI-

' May 27 1924.

F. c. ROBERTS AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL EXHIBITOR FiledIJuly 29 1921 May 27 1924.

F. C. ROBERTS AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL EXHIBITOR 2 Sheets-Shem. 2

Filed July 29 1921 Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES FERDINAND C. ROBERTS,

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL nxnrnrrron.

Application filed July 29,

To ail whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND C.'R0B- En'rs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Signal Exhibitors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relatesvto an automobile signal exhibitor and has special reference to that class of signals which are electrically operated and controlled, and located on the rear end of an automobile or similar vehicle, preferably in proximity to the license card or sign so that such card or sign may be illuminated from the si nal exhibitor.

The primary object o my invention is to combine tail and signal lamp exhibitors into a single structure that will present a neat and attractive appearance and may be readily mounted on the rear end of an auto-. mobile, truck or other'vehicle so that rays of light from either the signal lamp or the tail lamp may be utilized for illuminating the license card or sign of the vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to pro: vide a signal exhibitor containing two lamps, both or either of which may be used for signalling purposes, one of said lamps being more powerful than the other to illuminate a sign providing with the word Stop or some other indicia by which a fol lowing automobile can ascertain that the signal carrying automobile is about to stop, 7 slow up, or enter a different lane of travel,

thus reducing to a minimum the probabilities of a rear end collision.

A further object of my invention is to provide a combined signal and tail lamp exhibitor and furnish the same with a novel socket switch, which maybe adjusted to permit of both lamps of the signal exhibitor being used or one of the lamps out out of the signal circuit; it being my intention to provide a signal which will conform to the trafiic requirements of various States, or cities and may be adjusted to conform to others.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a signal exhibitor wherein the arts are constructed with a iew of reducmg the cost of manufacture and at the same time retain those features by which accessibility and ease of assembling are securedor nE'rRor'r, 1 MICHIGAN.

192i. Serial No. 4saaos.

.With such ends in view, my invention resides in the construction to be hereinafter described and then claimed, and reference Wlll now be had to the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the signal exhibitor; I

same;' 1 I s Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the exhibitor; Fi 4 is a cross'sectional'view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3,"looki'ng in the direction of the arrow, showing the socket switch set for theuse of both lamps of the exhibitor;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the socket switch set for the use of'one lamp Fig. 6 is an end viewof the" disconnected plug portion of the socket switch, and

Fi 7 isa' diagrammati'c view of the-electrica connections for the signal exhibitor.

The signal exhibitor comprises a metallic casing having a rear'wall 1, a top wall 2, side walls 3, a front walli l: and'conve rging bottom walls'5, said'bottom walls converging inw'ardly' fromthefilower ends of the side walls 3 and cooperating-with the rear wall 1 and the front wall 4 in providing a bottom compartment in the casing which tapers to a roundedbottom-portion 6. The converging walls 5 maybe a continuation of the side walls 3 and said bottom walls and the rounded bottom portion 6 have a large opening 7 which is preferably-closed by a piece of celluloid 8 or other transparent material mounted against the walls 5" within the casing, said piece of transparent material excluding dust and dirt but ermitting rays of light to pass therethroug from.within the casing, so that-such emitted light may be utilized for illuminating a license card, sign or otherdevice contiguous to the easing. 1

The upper portion of the casing provides a substantially rectangular compartment communicating with the tapering or triangular shaped lower compartmentof the easing and in order that easy access may be had to these casing compartments the frontwall 4 is made detachable and provided with a marginal flange 9 permitting of the wall 4. being fitted on the front edges of the casing.

vThe upper portion of the wall has an oblong Fig. 2is a horizontal sectional view of the lg ing through openings '14 of the within the easih ge l v ill presen a, lens frame-18 311211111 1. 3*- c t enS- ,9- i p efem X se t n g q but marily-intended 51 s danger to {in;QPpIfOZLGhQQgTYBh-LCIB; .2

- partition has :a'centfa lljs ooketfog iletach -able ineandescentflamp; 26", hieh: may "be opaquein portionssb gs to,lemggt apsparent 'POICIORS repi esehtng tl eqehz rglcter word Stopfl.

Vjacent' thewalls; 3. -i The iippelgportion of t S1 13 e te d-ii: i. e i. w w t i. J

seat 11 and et 32pi ov'i'ded iiiitlfa 'set sl" 733' so that the exhibitor casing may bemounted 0n and 'at taelied to zfi emit-able vehicle bracket (not clenched 0n. the seat so. as to hold the detachable front Wall 4 t e ezysing I W I I v In the frame 12 is atransparentplht'e ill'ij all 11 of the casinghas an in-' preferably made of gegl eglo 'edgglgs s ill}(l; tl},8 vguzdly projecting sleeve or support :34 pro- 7 glass plate is painted OFOtherWiSe rendered "i i'cl'ew'w'i'th l'eve-like socket 35 and .said

socket has the elosed WlllS tl withjb I I iihe m wOihiq ar dic e! 11; b mnih ated from) ,va's g ished atf i red ,chaxaoters that may be easily read and distingu Signor stencil may be mounted in the fmni 12 andi sinces said; f i gme is vdet ye-liable it .15, possible to provide the xh ibitol wi'tl wa sigii that-will:conioprr glto.

5 the lamp 'so'ckt and said L soo rihgc ted by another eonduct Y COIICII IiClZQl 40' of bu'lls-eye lens 19 T framp si 1 9 1 113 1vingthgfiat lz r j n frame :1'2;0fJ211e-; transparent; plate .2 15 ,and:

.D hably hQ d ngfif g me t' Wi h th -m mg a v m-disposed against; hei n 'g es.

attery s] elosed isjtead parti ion iShQ i l yd sp sied disa'id cor-mooted t thesocke't 25gbygremo ving the or bottom .wa llwof -(the; .ea*si nside-of the partition 3.

s eGonn c e :imth

for a' lamp socket c0,

' 30 on theLeasing; -DetEmhably;connected to front gwall of the qasing @Lamp is in, proximity to the lens 19 and will castmyslof li-ght through the lensgtoillumi ate the same y 0i gh mmtthiselamp may b f lse-J projectedwthrough -thegtrapepa ntn ateri211 8 V 7, {ch 'ifront wisp: th

01" other .-fast"e 1 in ean rthe soi e serews may :be employedg jfonholding a ,nz me plzite :thEwSOQkEtf 29; -is: ,an ip egxpcleseen glamp 31,

P ydarg rthan the l mp 226; nd adapted :EtO eastyrays of light; throggh th transparent portions of the sign 15. i

The tail lamp installation may remain on an automobile so that should the automobile enter a State or city where ordinances or the law requires a tail lamp, then the plug 441 may be adjusted to permit of the tail lamp being used. The plug 44 therefore serves somewhat as a rotary switch with its action limited by the pins 48 engaging in the slots 36, and in either position of the plug it cannot become accidentally displaced, but will require a manual operation to be detached.

When the tail lamp is not in use the signal lamp may be depended upon to illuminate any license card or sign below the exhibitor casing, since rays of light from the signal lamp may be projected downwardly behind the partition 23 and through the transparent bottom wall of the exhibitor casing.

The exhibitor is susceptible to any desired finish may be supported on any part of an automobile, truck or other vehicle, and such changes, as are permissible by the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is A. signal exhibitor comprising a casing having an upper rectangular compartment, and a lower adjoining triangular compartment, said lower triangular compartment having a transparent wall extending from one side wall of said upper compartment to the other side wall thereof and forming the side and bottom walls of said triangular compartment, a lamp in each compartment adapted to cast rays of light through said transparent wall, the lamp arrangement being such that the lamp of the lower compartment has a greater degree of light dispersion through said transparent wall than the lamp of the upper compartment, and a partition between said lamps isolating said lamps for other illuminating purposes, said partition having a horizontal portion between the upper and lower compartments and a triangular portion extending into the lower compartment.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND C. ROBERTS. Witnesses: ANNA M. Dean,

KARL H. BUTLER. 

